The Stained Guardian
by Do a Barrel Roll
Summary: The blood seal failed. Alphonse Elric is dead, and Edward Elric, with nothing to lose, sets out with one mission in life: to ensure that alchemy is never used to harm another innocent person again, all the while maintaining his own moral code even as a terrible conspiracy unravels around him that threatens the entire country. Hints of Royai and Parental RoyEd. Rating may go up.


**This is, without a doubt, the darkest thing I have ever written. To all those reading, I'm really sorry about killing off Alphonse, he's my second favorite character, but this was just begging to be written. I am determined to keep this story going, as well, and I just need to finish writing the outline.**

**The rating may go from T to M later due to violence, I'm not sure. As far as I'm concerned, there will be no majorly important romance in this, and the only pairings that'll probably even be mentioned are Trisha/Hohenheim, Maes/Gracia, and possible hints of Royai. Ed'll be far too psychologically scarred to consider being in a relationship with Winry, so sorry, EdWin fans.**

**Ed will obviously have a darker personality due to the circumstances, but I don't intend on making anyone OOC.**

**Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist.**

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**Prologue**

The room was positively desolated. Blood was spattered on the floor, sprayed about like a sick, twisted mural of death, illuminated eerily by the lightning crackling and fizzling around the room, each spark slowly dying out one by one. If one was able to look past this, though, they would see the true horror of the situation: that of a blackened, grotesque pass at a human being, oozing black blood and long dead. And, just beyond that, the ultimate tragedy played out.

On the floor lied a few objects scattered about: a shirt, shoes, and a pair of pants, their owner yanked from his short, cruel life (the worst hands in life were always dealt to the good); and a suit of armor, the helmet knocked askew, a seal of blood on the inside. Next to the suit of armor, a boy no more than twelve with spun-gold hair caked with blood, right arm and left leg shockingly, horrifyingly _gone _from their rightful place, was sprawled, breathing shallowly as wails of despair escaped his lips.

The loss of his limbs wasn't even close to just punishment, as far as Edward Elric was concerned. It would never be. Nothing, _nothing _on this God-forsaken planet, would be enough to redeem him from his crime.

Edward, just bare minutes ago, had done the impossible. He had brought forth human life nothing but a chalked circle and a pile of chemical compounds and elements. He had seen the Truth of all things, the Gate to the core of life, the ultimate meaning of all. Only by learning everything did he realize he knew absolutely nothing...but the lesson was far too late to prevent this epitome of living hell from ever being summoned.

He had been so sure, so prideful about performing human transmutation. As seen too often in the alchemists of the earth, Edward had assumed he could play God. Alphonse, ever the antithesis of his older brother, had been skeptical, unsure of how far their powers extended (his doubts had not been unfounded), but how Ed had _pushed_ his (sweet, kind, beautiful) brother, how he had reassured Al of their success. Ed wished with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength now that he could take it all back, rewind time and stop himself from making a promise he wouldn't keep, couldn't keep.

He didn't know what had gone wrong with their equation. It had seemed picture perfect, as if right afterward their mother would be as she had always been, gentle and loving and kind, and that she and her little men would return to their blissful lives before her untimely demise, as if Trisha had never been laden with that vile disease and Ed had not been forced to become Alphonse's father as well as his brother.

It had not been meant to be. Their payment of blood and cheap junk from the market had not satisfied the Law of Equivalent Exchange. Nothing could equal the value of a human soul, after all, but Ed, in all of his (foolish, wretched, revolting) arrogance had forgotten to include the soul in his equation, forgotten the most important piece of life. The reaction had rebounded, taking all it deserved but nothing the brothers had been willing to give: the leg of one and the body of the other (such an unfair payment, how could _that _be equivalent for both parties?).

After that disastrous meeting with the grinning white monster of Ed's soul, being destroyed and rebuilt from the inside out, and having his brain overloaded with all the knowledge of the universe, Ed still persisted, still attempted to save his one remaining reason for living, the one thing he simply could not afford to lose. The blood seal had seemed to be the only way to save poor Alphonse from fate...but Ed, despite giving his a second limb, failed. He had heinously, irrevocably failed.

Alphonse Elric was dead, and his protector was to blame.


End file.
